ScoobyDoo and the Haunted Lighthouse
by ElisabethCarter
Summary: The gang goes to visit Velma's realatives in Pirate's Cove and learn that the ghost of a pirate has been creeping around an old lighthouse and scaring tourists. Can they find out what's really going on? Please review! Meant to be a sequel to Grimm's Ghost
1. Welcome to Pirate

Hi, everyone! Thank you so much for taking the time to read my second story ever published! Please read and review (it would mean the world to me if you would tell me what you thought). I hope you enjoy! Note: I do not own any of the characters from Scooby-Doo!

_Chapter 1 Welcome to Pirate's Cove_

Fred Jones, leader of a group of mystery-solving teenagers, was driving his large van to the destination of the gang's short trip. He was desperately trying to focus on the road before him, but his mind was constantly distracted by Daphne Blake.

The attractive red-head had, as usual, taken her seat next to Fred and, even though they hadn't really had a full conversation since the beginning of the trip, he found that his head was always being filled with thoughts of her.

Poking her head between Fred and Daphne's seats was Velma Dinkley, the brains of the group. She was on her laptop, no doubt trying to find a new case for the gang. It had been nearly two months since their last mystery and they were beginning to grow bored with their vacation from crime.

Behind Velma in the back of the van, Shaggy and Scooby were throwing random foods together, forming one giant sandwich. Shaggy opened his mouth to take a bite but there was a bump in the road, sending him flying backward and sending the sandwich right into Scooby's mouth.

"We're here," Fred announced, looking at a sign out the window that read: WELCOME TO PIRATE'S COVE. He sighed with relief as he realized that he would soon be able to get out of the van.

"Wow, this looks like a really neat place!" Daphne cried. "Don't you think, Freddy?" She looked at him with those piercing blue eyes, framed by thick lashes.

God, he loved it when she looked at him like that. He cleared his throat. "Um, ye-yeah, it looks great," he responded breathlessly, having to swerve a little bit as he realized that he had been drifing toward the edge of the road.

"Like, why does your family have to live in a place called Pirates Cove?" Shaggy asked Velma. "It sounds kind of creepy."

Velma smiled at the coward. "We'll only be there for a week," she reminded him. "And my aunt, uncle and cousin were really excited to meet you all."

Shaggy sighed.

"Which house is theirs, Velma?" Fred asked.

Velma pointed to a large, three-story house. It was cream-colored with red trim and a very large front porch. Waiting out by the front door were three people: a woman in her fifties with short curly hair and an apron, a man around the same age wearing jeans and a plaid shirt, and a very attractive girl Velma's age with dark hair and shallow eyes.

Fred parked the van and they all got out and greeted their hosts.

"It's so great to finally meet you all," Velma's aunt cried, giving each of the teenagers a warm hug.

"We're glad to meet you, too, Mrs. Dinkley," Daphne said sweetly. "And thank you so much for letting us stay at your house for the week."

"Oh, my dear, it was no problem at all," the woman responded. "And please, call me Sharon. As I'm sure you've already guessed this is my husband, Donald, and my daughter, Clarissa."

Before Clarissa even took the time to greet her cousin, her own flesh and blood, she turned to the blonde leader of the group. "You must be Fred Jones," she said flirtatiously, leaning in closer to the tall, handsome boy.

Fred looked slightly uncomfortable. For some reason, he felt the need to look at Daphne and see what she thought about this. She glared at the two for a moment before decidedly looking away, ignoring Clarissa and Fred.

"Well, let me show you all to your rooms," Sharon said, taking a few of their suitcases while Donald took the others.

The gang was led to the top floor of the house.

"Daphne and Velma, you two can share this room," Sharon told them gesturing to a handsome bedroom in the middle of the hallway. Right across from it would be where Fred, Shaggy, and Scooby were staying.

"My room's right next to yours, Freddy," Clarissa purred, leaning her head against his chest.

Fred laughed nervously and quickly ran into the closest room and shut the door, making sure that Velma's cousin couldn't follow him. What he didn't realize was that the room he was now in belonged to Velma and Daphne.

"Fred, what are you doing here?" Velma asked.

Daphne didn't even face him when he came in. Instead, she was standing over her suitcase, unpacking her clothes and allowing it to consume all of her attention. "Yeah, shouldn't you be hanging out with your girlfriend?" the red-head said bitterly, still not looking up. It was clear to Velma that she was jealous, though Fred didn't seem to understand this.

"She-she's not my girlfriend," Fred responded slowly, confused by Daphne's icy tone. "I actually came in here to get away from her."

As she heard this, Daphne seemed to relax a little bit. "So, you don't like her?" she asked, trying not to seem like she cared too much.

"N-no, of course not," Fred replied hurriedly. He was still perplexed by this strange behavior, though he decided that he would have to get used to it, for Daphne Blake was certainly the greatest mystery there ever was. "I should probably go unpack," he informed the girls as he left.

"What the hell was that?" Velma asked as soon as they were alone again.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Daphne replied, facing her friend and trying her best to look innocent.

"Daph, I know that you're jealous," Velma said simply. Daphne opened her mouth to retort but decided that there was no use lying to her closest friend. "I just don't understand why. You said at the end of our first case, Fred kissed you."

Daphne sighed sadly. "He did, but nothing ever happened after that. He never asked me out, or even made any attempt to tell me that he liked me as more than a friend."

Velma saw how upset her friend truly was and went over to comfort her. "Don't worry about it. He's definitely interested in you. Maybe he just needs some time to get up the courage to tell you."

"Yeah, whatever," Daphne said, sniffing. "I think I forgot something in the van. I'll be right back."

She left the room, on the verge of tears. Why did this guy have to make her so emotional all the time? He either brightened her day or said something that crushed her. She knew Fred would never hurt her on purpose, but sometimes he didn't understand how the things he said affected her.

Daphne almost ran right into Fred himself as she was trying to make her way out of the house. He smiled when he saw her, but his expression immediately changed to one of worry as he noticed how sad she looked.

"Daphne, what's wrong?" he asked, placing his hands on her shoulders.

She looked at the way he was trying to comfort her. "Nothing," she replied, smiling at how worried he had become over her. "I'm fine." This proved that he at least cared.

"Are you sure?" he inquired, staring into her crystalline eyes. _I'll kill whoever made you upset_, he thought.

"Yes, Fred, I'm absolutely positive. There's nothing wrong," Daphne said, still grinning slightly at how he was fussing over her. She decided that his friendship was enough; she didn't need anything more.

As the two went their separate ways, Fred decided to pay a visit to Velma again.

"What's wrong with Daphne?" he asked urgently.

"What do you mean?" Velma responded, playing innocent.

"Don't play dumb," Fred responded lightly. "C'mon, Velma, I know that you two talk all the time." Now his voice was pleading. "I just saw her in the hall and she looked so sad. And then earlier how she was glaring at me. What's going on with her?"

Velma thought over her response for a moment. "If I tell you something, will you swear not to tell Daphne?"

"Yes, yes, I swear." He was rocking back and forth, looking more like an anxious little boy than a concerned friend.

"She doesn't like the way my cousin was all over you," Velma told him, carefully surveying his reaction. So far, it seemed that Fred was extremely confused as to how this would cause the hateful glares and the bitter sadness. "I know that it may not make much sense to you, but trust me, that's what's been bothering her."

"But I don't even like Clarissa," Fred cried. He walked over to the window and stared out at the sky over the nearby ocean. Then, without apparent reason, he began to chuckle softly. "Daphne is probably the only mystery I'll never solve. The first time we met, she hated me, but by the end of our first case, she wanted to be friends." He smiled warmly as he was lost in the memories for a moment. "Nothing makes sense when it comes to her, but I don't think I'd want it any other way."

Velma wasn't sure she fully understood what he was saying, but she didn't question him. Instead, she allowed Fred to stare out toward an old lighthouse that was only about half a mile from the house. She gave him peace and quiet to recall their first case together.

Fred looked down and noticed that, at the base of the lighthouse he had been staring at, was Daphne. _What was she doing out there?_ he wondered.

What he saw next was totally unexpected. A pale figure jumped out of nowhere and grabbed the struggling girl.

Fred could hear her pleading scream echoing in his ears.


	2. The Legend of Captain William Paine

_Chapter 2 The Legend of Captain William Paine_

Velma was startled by Fred's sudden motion. He sprang away from the window and began running toward the door.

"Fred, what's going on? What was that scream?" Velma asked anxiously.

"Daphne, we've got to save Daphne," came his breathless reply. Before she could question him further, Fred had sprinted out into the hallway. He flew down the stairs and busted through the front door.

"Hey there, Freddy," Clarissa said, smiling suggestively. She seemed to be completely unaware of what was going on. "Do you want to come up to my room for a little while?" She draped her arms over him. How could she be so clueless? Hadn't she heard Daphne scream? Couldn't she tell that Fred was terribly worried?

Without so much as glancing at her, Fred pushed Clarissa away and said, "Leave me alone."

Clarissa was stunned into silence, allowing Fred time to hurry over to the lighthouse. Shaggy and Scooby had heard Daphne's scream and ran to Velma, who informed them of Fred's strange actions. Now these three were tailing Fred, seeing where he was headed.

As Fred reached the spot where Daphne had been snatched, he heard a sound that directed his attention upward. There he found Daphne. She had been tied to a chair. This was fastened on the outside of the railing that guarded the very tip of the lighthouse, leaving Daphne dangling over the edge. If anything happened to the rope that was holding her in place... Fred shuddered at the mere thought of something so terrible and terrifying.

"Don't worry, Daph, I'm coming!" he shouted up to her, trying his best to smile reassuringly, though he wasn't sure if it worked.

Fred wasted no time in barging through the door and taking the winding stairs two at a time. He soon became aware of footsteps behind him and looked back to see his close friends following. This made him smile, though only for a moment.

In no time the whole gang was at the top of the lighthouse. They all ran over to Daphne, who looked to be on the verge of tears.

"We need to untie the chair," Velma told the others.

"But, like, if we do that, she'll fall," Shaggy pointed out.

"Velma, you and Scoob untie the chair while Shaggy and I hold on to it," Fred instructed. "As soon as you get the knots loose, we'll lift her over the railing and everything will be okay." He addressed the last few words to the damsel in distress.

Everyone nodded and immediately filled their roles. A minute passed, though it seemed like an hour, but Daphne was still dangling over the edge.

"Hurry up, guys!" Fred shouted. "She's afraid of heights!"

Another minute flew by and they were finally able to bring Daphne and the chair safely over the railing. By now, there were a few tears threatening to fall from the corner of her eyes.

Fred pulled her into a bone-crushing hug. He breathed a sigh of relief as he held her in his arms, thanking God that they were able to save her. He allowed his hand to gently stroke the back of her soft hair.

"Don't ever do that to me again," he whispered softly.

"I really wish someone else would get kidnapped for a change," Daphne said. Her voice seemed a little hoarse.

"Jinkies!" Velma cried. "Get a load of this."

Fred released Daphne, though he would've kept holding her forever, and all eyes turned to Velma as she held out a slip of paper. On it, in small, neat writing, was a note.

_Let this be a warning to you all._

_Leave now and you will be spared, but if you don't heed this,_

_I'll make sure that next time, you won't be so lucky._

_-W. Paine_

"Zoinks," Shaggy whimpered. "Like, I don't like the sound of that."

"Me r'either," Scooby said.

Soon, the teenagers and their dog were secure back at Sharon and Donald's house. They quickly explained all that had happened at the lighthouse and showed them the threatening letter.

"Oh my," Sharon whispered. "I can't believe it's actually true."

"What do you mean, Aunt Sharon?" Velma asked.

"The legends," the older woman explained. "Do you know why this town is called Pirate's Cove? It's because centuries ago, that lighthouse and all the surrounding area was the hideout for a famous pirate named William Paine."

"That would explain the name signed on the note we found," Fred mused.

"Yes," Sharon said in an ominous tone. "He built that lighthouse for his ships. Anyway, the stories say that Paine once had a huge treasure that he trusted with no one. He could tell that some of his crew was growing greedy and he feared they would try to steal his wealth, so he hid it somewhere in the lighthouse. Then, he locked himself away in there to guard it. Eventually, his crew decided they wanted the treasure for themselves, so they killed Paine, but not before he vowed to protect his riches, even after death."

Shaggy gulped. "Like, did they ever find it?" he asked.

"No, because only William Paine knew its location. Eventually people gave up searching, but over the past few years, some folks have shown an interest in finding it. They've all run away, claiming that the old pirate is still guarding his treasure, just as he said he would." Sharon sighed and shook her head. "I never believed any of those rumors that Paine's ghost haunts the place, but now it seems like they're true."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that," Velma said skeptically. "So the claims of seeing Pain's ghost have been recent? Only over the past few years?"

"Yes," Donald answered. "But the legend was around long before that."

Velma mulled over this for a moment. "There's something mighty fishy about all of this," she said slowly, her brain still analyzing all that had happened.

"Well, gang," Fred addressed his friends, "it looks like we've got another mystery on our hands."

Clarissa inched closer to him. "Wow, Fred, it's so brave of you to step up and investigate like that." She batted her eyelashes in what was meant to be a flirtatious manner, though it looked like she had something in her eye.

Daphne smirked as Fred squirmed. At least there was no possibility of him falling for Clarissa. A smile spread across Daphne's face as she watched Fred mouth the word, "Help!"


	3. The Investigation Begins

_Chapter 3 The Investigation Begins_

It had been nearly two days since Daphne had been assaulted by the ghost. The four kids and Scooby were in Velma and Daphne's room, trying to decide how to approach the present situation. They were a little nervous to go back into the lighthouse, considering how awful the consequences had been last time they'd gotten close.

"We need to go back in there and snoop around," Fred said after a while. Everyone, of course, already knew that this was their only option, though they were all reluctant. No one wanted any harm to come to the other members of the gang. Plus, Paine's warning had been very clear: they were to stay away or there would be worse consequences.

With many sighs and groans of protest, the group headed downstairs to inform Sharon and Donald of their plans.

"Well, when you head down there, you might want to talk to Bo Jensen," Donald told them.

"Who's that?" Fred asked curiously.

"He's the caretaker up at the lighthouse. I'm not sure why he wasn't there before, but he should be hanging around the place now. He knows all about that old pirate story. Plus, he spends almost all of his time up at that lighthouse. If anyone can help you, it'll be him."

"Thanks, Uncle Don," Velma said, giving the man a hug. "We'll be sure to pay him a visit."

"Please be careful," Sharon told the teenagers, her eyes wide with compassion. It was obvious that she worried about their adventurous lifestyle.

"Like, don't worry," Shaggy piped up. "If there's ever any danger, we'll be sure to get out of there as fast as we can," he promised. Sharon didn't know that Shaggy and Scooby would've done this anyway.

As the gang headed out, they discussed what needed to be done.

"Some of us should talk to Bo Jensen," Velma suggested. "We need to figure out what he knows."

"But we also need to poke around a bit in the lighthouse and see if there are any clues in there," Daphne pointed out.

"Alright, so we'll split up and look for clues," Fred announced. By now they had reached the base of the lighthouse. "Daphne and I'll look around inside while Velma, Shaggy and Scooby go talk to Jensen."

The team broke apart and went in the designated directions. Shaggy, Scooby and Velma walked a short distance to a cabin with the words "PROPERTY OF BO JENSEN" written above the door. Obviously, this was where the caretaker lived.

Velma knocked lightly. When no one came to answer the door, she rapped her knuckles on in once more and shouted, "Hello? Mr. Jensen, are you there?"

There was a grumble on the other side of the door and some commotion as someone made their way through the house.

"Who's there?" a voice asked.

"My name's Velma Dinkley. My friends and I are investigating the ghost stories of this lighthouse and we were told that you could help us out."

"Oh, alright," the voice mumbled as the door was opened. Behind it was a very attractive man with dark hair and smoldering eyes. He definitely worked out, as proved by his biceps.

Velma had to stop herself from staring. She cleared her throat nervously and Jensen chuckled. "How can I help you?" he asked in a silken voice.

Shaggy had noticed the way Velma and their companion were looking at each other. He suddenly felt very protective of her and put an arm around her shoulder. "As she said before," Shaggy said, "we're here to investigate the ghost."

"Well, come on in," Jensen said with a dazzling smile. "I'm sorry about all the mess. I should warn you guys about that lighthouse. The ghost, or whatever lives in there, is dangerous and will hurt you if you keep snooping around. Now I'll be happy to tell you all the stories I know, but if you're smart, you'll stay away." Though this comment was said as a suggestion, it sounded more like a command.

Meanwhile, back at the lighthouse, Daphne and Fred were searching for any sort of clues that would help them. Fred had been fussing over his partner for nearly the entire time they'd been there.

"Daphne," he said, placing a tender hand on her shoulder. "Are you sure you're okay with being in here? I mean, this is the place where you were just kidnapped and dangled over a railing. It's totally fine if you want to sit this one out."

"Freddy, you don't need to worry," she mumbled in response. Daphne thought he viewed her as weak and this was why he was treating her like that. "I'm fine. Everything is fine."

In reality, Fred wasn't worried because he thought she wasn't strong enough to handle herself, but because he was afraid that it would happen again since she was back. After all, Daphne did have a tendency to be danger-prone. He just didn't want to see her go through another traumatic experience like that.

He sighed and decided that he shouldn't tell her why he was really worried. Instead, Fred, tired and sick of the dark, creepy building, leaned against the cement wall to rest.

When he put all his weight on it, Fred realized that the wall moved a fraction of an inch. He held up his flashlight to illuminate the spot where he had been resting.

"Hey, Daph," he called to her. "Come here and take a look at this."

"What is it?" she asked, squinting at the wall.

"It's a door." Sure enough, where Fred shone his light, a line could be made out in the shape of a doorway. Apparently, the section of the wall that Fred had leaned against was not attached to the surrounding stone. "Help me push it open," he said, putting down his flashlight and shoving the rock.

Within a few moments, the duo found themselves descending a staircase that led to a short tunnel underground. A few spots along the pathway looked as though they had been dug, leaving shallow graves across the walls and floor.

"What's with all the holes?" Daphne asked, grabbing onto Fred's arm. She was beginning to get scared.

Fred, despite the potentially dangerous situation, smiled as he felt Daphne's touch. This made him feel like she needed him, something that he always enjoyed. "I think someone was digging," he explained.

"Digging for what?"

Then realization hit them. "Treasure," they answered simultaneously.

An hour later the gang all piled back into Daphne and Velma's room to compare notes. Fred told the others about the tunnel and the holes they had found while Velma explained how Bo had been very cooperative.

"So far we know that someone has been trying to find Paine's lost treasure in the old lighthouse," Daphne said smartly.

"We also know that Bo doesn't think it's safe for us to investigate in there," Velma said, her eyes glazing over dreamily. "He was so sweet."

Shaggy cleared his throat and looked rather put out. "Like, he wasn't that amazing. He totally kicked us out of his place before we even got to finish asking him questions."

"Reah, rude," Scooby added.

"Why did he kick you guys out?" Daphne inquired.

"Like, as soon as we told him you and Fred were snooping around in the lighthouse, he flipped out. He told us that he was busy and needed us to leave," Shaggy told her. "Then he warned us that bad stuff happens to people that go in there."

"Whatever, Shaggy," Velma replied with a playful smirk. "You're just jealous."

Shaggy's eyes went wide and he opened and closed his mouth in shocked movements. "Psh, pff, w-why would I be jealous of Bo?" he asked, clearly lacking any real talent at lying. The faint blush that colored his cheeks was a dead giveaway.

Velma giggled and put a hand on his arm. "Well, you'd better get over your issues with him because he's coming over for dinner tonight, remember?"

Shaggy grumbled something unintelligible and looked away. He didn't trust Bo, though it could have just been the jealousy leading his emotions.


	4. The Dinner with Bo

Thank you so much to everyone that has been reading and reviewing! Discospider, Hollie, Russ, SpongeAddict: every review you've given me has been a huge help. Thanks for supporting! Love you guys! :)

_Chapter 4 The Dinner with Bo_

Shaggy was sitting on his bed, groaning every five seconds. This wouldn't have bothered Fred that much, but now Scooby had joined in on the whining, making it twice as loud and twice as annoying.

"Would you stop that already?" Fred cried to both of them. He had been trying to think of a way to survive the evening. Dinner in the house seemed to be the same every night: Fred would try to sit next to Daphne but Clarissa would end up putting herself between the two; then, he would be forced to listen to her drone on about herself for hours. Hopefully, that night would be different.

"But, like, don't you understand how bad dinner's going to be tonight?" Shaggy asked. "Velma's going to be drooling over that Bo dude the whole time!" He pulled at his hair and rested his head on his knees.

Fred smirked. "But, Shaggy," he said, feigning innocence, "why would that matter to you? It's not like you have a reason to be so protective of Velma."

Fred laughed as Shaggy's face turned bright red. He didn't seem capable of responding. Finally, after a moment of thought, it was Shaggy's turn to smirk as he replied, "Well, that's true, but if Velma's practically in love with this guy after knowing him for an hour, imagine what Daphne's reaction will be. I'll bet she won't be able to keep her eyes off him."

The words took immediate effect. Fred's face went from laughing to angry so quickly that it didn't seem humanly possible. He went slightly pale as he thought of Daphne flirting with some other guy, some guy that could be potentially dangerous.

"You know, now that I think about it," Fred commented, "this Bo character is really suspicious. I mean, for all we know, he could be the one dressing up as a pirate and scaring people away."

Shaggy smiled as the two then began to discuss ways in which Bo could, in fact, be the terrible creature that was prowling around the lighthouse.

A short while later, Sharon informed the teenagers that their guest had arrived and that dinner was ready. As the gang filed down the staircase, Fred placed a hand protectively on Daphne's shoulder and he turned around to see that Shaggy had done the same with Velma.

Daphne got butterflies in her stomach as soon at Fred's touch. She knew it was silly to be so excited over something like that, but she couldn't help it. She was still smiling at the thought of him being so close when she entered the kitchen.

Standing there in a worn plaid shirt and jeans was Bo Jensen, probably one of the most attractive guys she'd ever seen. Daphne blushed as Bo winked at her.

The boy was hot and all, but he was nothing in her mind compared to Fred.

Fred quickly took a seat next to Daphne at the table, only to find that Clarissa had stolen the chair on the other side of him. Bo sat directly across from Daphne, much to Fred's dismay.

Dinner for Daphne was a rather pleasant affair. Bo was really nice, sweet and funny, even though something about him was a little off. She also enjoyed how upset Fred seemed to be getting. Could that be _jealousy_? She quickly shook her head to rid herself of such a thought. Why would Fred Jones, the most perfect guy in the world, be jealous of Bo?

Velma seemed to realize how upset Shaggy was becoming throughout the course of the meal and she promptly ignored their guest for the evening. She tried her best to cheer Shaggy up, even going so far as to complain she was tired and rest her head on his shoulder. This seemed to have the desired affect as he perked up right away.

"So, Fred, what does everyone do in this little mystery-solving group of yours?" Bo asked.

"Well, Velma's the smart one," the blonde responded. "She usually figures out what's going on."

"Yes, and Fred's the leader," Daphne piped up. "He's typically the one that gets us to work together to catch the bad guy." She smiled adoringly at him for a split second before catching herself.

"Then what do you do, Daphne?" Bo questioned.

The red-head seemed flustered. Her face flushed slightly as she realized that she didn't know what she did for the group. "I, err…"

"Daphne helps me," Fred answered for her. He put his arm around Daphne and explained, "She's kind of like my partner. I wouldn't be able to put everything together if I didn't have her there to help me."

"So you two are a team?" Bo asked skeptically. "Like Yin and Yang."

"Exactly," Fred replied, smiling kindly though he narrowed his eyes. He was wondering why the caretaker at the old lighthouse would be so curious about the inner-workings of their group.

Bo eyed the two across from him. He noted that Daphne wasn't one of the main people that allowed Mystery, Inc. to function. Fred and Velma seemed to be the much needed members, but, if they were gone, the three remaining wouldn't stand a chance on their own.

"And, like, Scoob and I provide comic relief," Shaggy said with a smile.

Bo chuckled a little as he rose from his seat. "Dinner was fantastic, Sharon," he said. "But I'm afraid I have to get going now."

"So soon? Well, please feel free to come back any time," Sharon told him as the boy left the house.

Fred and Shaggy both sighed with relief.

"That was...nice," Daphne said, trying to break the silence that had spread over the table since their guest left.

"Yeah," Donald responded. "It was sweet of you to invite him over, Velma."

Velma looked surprised. "But I didn't. He said that you asked him to come for dinner."

Donald shrugged and got up. He didn't seem to think much of this occurrence, but Velma's mind was calculating and processing. She was beginning to like Bo less and less as he started to look more and more suspicious.


	5. A Realization And a Complication

_Chapter 5 A Realization And a Complication_

Velma sighed as she walked into her room. The gang had attempted to find some more clues at the lighthouse that day, but as soon as they showed up, Paine's ghost chased them away. He had almost grabbed Daphne, who ran slowest of the group, but, as always, Fred was there to protect her. He had smacked the creep's hand away, earning a grateful smile from Daphne. Later, though, Daphne saved him so they were even. Paine had driven the group into a wooded area. At first it seemed as though they had lost their pursuer, but he appeared behind a tree and the chase began all over again. Fred tripped over a branch and the ghost made a move as though he were going to grab the blonde boy, but Daphne materialized at his side and kicked Paine directly between the legs, causing him to double over in agony.

"See, Daph, this is what you do for the gang," Fred had commented breathlessly. "I nee-I mean, we need you."

Daphne smiled as Fred blushed. "You and I make a great team," she told him.

"Yin and Yang," he had responded, grinning back at her.

Velma sighed once more as she recalled this. It was painfully obvious to everyone that these two would make a perfect match. The only people who remained unaware of this fact seemed to be Daphne and Fred. Maybe time was all they needed.

"Velma, what's wrong?" Daphne asked as she sat on her bed. She noticed that the brunette had been oddly quiet and distant since they had returned from the disaster at the lighthouse. This would have been normal if Velma had been thinking about the case, but Daphne was smart enough to know that the genius's mind was occupied by something else.

"Do you think Shaggy would ever like me?" she asked. "I mean as more than a friend. Do you think it's possible?"

Daphne was taken aback by this. She certainly had not expected Velma to fall for their goofy friend, but it seemed less crazy the more she thought about it. Velma and Shaggy were complete opposites, but they complimented each other quite nicely. "Of course it's possible. In fact, I'm pretty sure it's already happened." Daphne smiled.

"I'm not so sure," Velma responded. She seemed really put out.

"Trust me," Daphne told her confidently. "Now, I think we should get some rest. It's been a long day."

As the girls prepared for bed, Fred and Shaggy were wide awake, still talking about what had happened.

"That thing came close to kidnapping Daphne again," Shaggy said carefully. He was aware how sensitive the topic of Daphne Blake was with Fred. The result could either be either a normal conversation or shouting. One could never be certain how the red-head was affecting Fred's mind.

"Yeah," he responded quietly.

"Good thing you, like, hit it when you did." Shaggy was evaluating his roommate's reaction, though there didn't seem to be any.

"Yeah," was the answer once more.

"Dude, what's up? You're acting, like, really weird!"

"I just," Fred began, not really knowing what he was going to say. "I'm sick of her always being in danger. She just attracts it like some sort of magnet, and I want it to stop. I know if I ask her to stop helping us solve mysteries, she'd hate me forever, but I don't see any other solution. What happens if we don't make it in time? What if the spooks we chase keep getting more insane? I just can't risk something really bad happening to her."

"But, like, Fred, you'd never let that happen," Shaggy said simply.

Fred looked up at the scrawny boy standing before him. It seemed as though Shaggy's normally ordinary mind had been struck by a stroke of wisdom. "You're right," he said, realizing that this was true. Fred smiled. If Daphne was ever in any danger, wasn't he the one that knew he would find her before anything happened? Wasn't he the knight in shining armor that would always come save his damsel in distress? Yes, he was. "You're totally right, Shaggy. As long as I'm around, I'll never let anyone hurt her."

These words seemed to depress Shaggy. His head hung low as he replied, "I just wish I was, like, as brave and strong and stuff so I could, you know, protect...certain people."

Fred was aware that "certain people" was in fact Velma. He had noticed how Shaggy had often stared at her, brought her name up in random conversations, and felt the need to ensure that she was always safe. "Shaggy," Fred began.

Shaggy simply shook his head. "No," he said, indicating that they wouldn't talk about this topic ever again.

Fred sighed. "It's late. I'm going to hit the sack."

As each member of Mystery, Inc. allowed themselves to be absorbed by much-needed sleep, they were filled with romantic, hopeful thoughts. Daphne dreamed that she was older and had married Fred. Velma's mind was filled with images of Shaggy building her a house made of food. Fred allowed his thoughts to wander to scenes of a relationship with a fiery red-head. Shaggy's dreams were surrounded by him, dressed in a knight's armor and riding Scooby like a horse, rescuing the brunette princess from her tower.

Halfway through the night, Fred heard a noise coming from the kitchen. He looked around his room and saw that both Shaggy and Scooby were still sleeping. So who was downstairs? He slowly crept into the room to find that it was none other than the girl who he had just been dreaming about.

"Daphne?" he said softly.

She jumped, nearly dropping the glass of water that was in her hand. "Oh my God, Fred," she cried quietly. "You scared me half to death! What are you doing down here?"

"I could ask you the same question," he responded, his detective instincts kicking in.

Daphne shot him a look before saying, "Really, Fred? You're going to act like I'm some sort of suspect? If you must know, I got thirsty so I came down here for some water. Now why are you here?"

"I heard a noise."

"Well, that was me."

"Yeah, I figured that out."

There was a moment of silence as neither really knew what to say. They just now seemed to realize their situation: alone, in the dark, everyone else in the house was sleeping. Fred took a bold step forward, trying to close the gap between himself and Daphne. Her breath was caught in her throat as she allowed herself to think that maybe, just maybe, he would provide the proper encouragement she needed to tell him how she felt. Within a few moments, there were only a few inches seperating the two. Fred began leaning in, slowly, very slowly. Daphne noticed this and copied the actions. Their lips were almost touching and both were silently rejoicing that the moment had finally come.

But they allowed themselves to hope too soon, for the sound of someone falling down the stairs immediately resulted in Daphne and Fred pulling apart and clearing their throats awkwardly.

Velma walked in a few seconds later. "Hey, guys," she said. "Was I...interrupting something?"

Daphne and Fred both blushed a deep shade of scarlet, though, luckily, the room was far too dark for anyone to tell. "No, I, err, just grabbed a glass of water," Daphne explained nervously. "I'm just going to go upstairs now."

As soon as she had rushed off, Velma turned to Fred. "Is there anything I should know about?" she asked, pushing her glasses farther up the bridge of her nose.

The blonde boy sighed sadly. "No, nothing happened, honestly."

Velma accepted this answer and turned to the fridge. She reached in, about to grab something, but was hit by a startling revelation. She gasped and turned to look at her companion, who by now was utterly confused. "Velma?" he said tentatively, not understanding what was going on in the strange girl's mind. "Is everything alright?"

"I know who did it!" she whispered. "Fred, I just solved the mystery!"

"That's great!" he said, relieved that this case would soon be over. As much as he enjoyed a good mystery, Fred had to admit that it could be exhausting. "I guess we shouldn't wake the others now to tell them, but you can explain everything first thing in the morning."

"Right," Velma agreed. Her eyes happend to land on a particular, empty spot on the countertop. "Where's the key?" she asked anxiously, pointing to the location where she was staring.

"What key?" Fred inquired, once again perplexed as to Velma's strange mood change.

"The key to this house that I put right here," she explained. "It-it's gone!"

"Things get lost all the time," Fred responded calmly. "When was the last time you saw it?"

Velma thought for a moment before she went visibly pale, even in the dim moonlight. "At dinner," she whispered.

"Velma, why did you say it like that?" Fred asked, now beginning to grow anxious himself. "Why is that such a bad thing?"

"Because it's Bo!" she practically shouted. "Bo's the one that's been sneaking around and scaring people away. He's the bad guy. And he was here for dinner so maybe he's the one that took the key. If he did, he has access to this house and to all of us in it," Velma explained. She could tell that Fred still didn't understand the gravity of the situation so she added, "He could come back tonight and grab Daphne."

Fred's eyes went wide and his mouth dropped open before he locked his jaw and set his features into a firm, threatening expression. "That's not going to happen." He walked to the window and looked out toward Jensen's cabin. "The light's still on in there so he hasn't left yet. If we catch him before he tries anything, maybe we can prevent bad stuff from happening tonight."

Velma quickly agreed. She grabbed two flashlights and they set out toward Bo's house. The walk there was quiet as neither really knew how to carry on a conversation with the other. It seemed like hours treading along the path to their destination, though they finally reached it. Fred turned off his flashlight and pounded on the door. He demanded that Bo open up at that very moment. There was a rustle and the hinges creaked as the barrier between them and the culprit was opened.

Then, without warning, Fred and Velma were both surprised by a blunt, painful object striking them on the back of the head, causing each to fall to the floor, unconcious.


	6. The Unexpected Rescue

_Chapter 6 The Unexpected Rescue_

Daphne rose the next morning feeling very anxious, though she could not explain why. She had the horrible feeling that something had gone terribly wrong and felt the urge to check on Fred. She ran to his room, growing more and more worried with each passing second. As she opened to door, Daphne found that Fred was nowhere to be found. She wasted no time in searching the entire house, only to stumble upon Shaggy and Scooby doing the same thing.

"Something's wrong," they both said at the same time.

"I have this...feeling, I guess you would call it, that Fred's in trouble," Daphne explained. She was now pacing nervously in the kitchen, running her hands through her hair. "Where is he?"

"R'we thought r'he was r'with you," Scooby told her, doing nothing but allowing her anxiety to grow.

"Like, I had the same feeling about Velma," Shaggy said, his voice cracking. "They're not here," he pointed out.

"Okay, is it possible that they went to the lighthouse without us?" Daphne asked.

"Yeah, like, I guess so. I mean, that would be totally like Fred to leave you here so you wouldn't get hurt or anything. But if they went up there then..." His voice trailed off as Shaggy reached the conclusion that Daphne had already come to know as the reality of the situation: Fred and Velma had been captured by Paine's ghost. "B-b-but, like, how the hell are we going to get them back? Fred was always the one to come up with the plans and Velma's the only person smart enough to make sure that they work. We, like, can't do anything without them," he cried hysterically.

"Wait a second," Daphne said as she was struck with a sudden thought. "You're right. They're the main minds behind Mystery, Inc."

"So?" Shaggy asked, momentarily distracted from his depression by Daphne's strange words. "We, like, already knew that."

"Yeah, and that's what we told Bo last night," she continued, still not making any sense. "Oh my God! I just solved the case!" Daphne's smile was short-lived as she soon came to understand that this was precisely why Fred and Velma had been taken. "And he knows that we can't do anything without Fred and Velma."

Scooby ran up to the two and was pointing frantically at the kitchen table. On it was a note, similar to the one they'd received on their first day in Pirate's Cove.

_Do anything drastic and your two friends are toast._

_Be smart._

_-W. Paine_

"So, like, if we call the cops on him," Shaggy said hopefully, "would that count as drastic?"

Daphne shot him a glare. "Obviously he doesn't think we're smart enough to figure out that it was him this whole time." Daphne thought for a moment. "That means he won't expect us to go up there and rescue them ourselves, which is exaclty what we're going to do." She remembered how hopeless they were without Fred and Velma and her determination faltered.

"Like, why don't we just get someone else to go up there and do it for us?" Shaggy suggested desperately.

"No, I've got an idea. It's not as brilliant as any plan Fred's come up with, but it'll have to do. Scooby, you're going to need to get the ghost's attention. Oh, cut it out. I know your paw's fine," she said, for the dog was now whimpering and holding his front paw as though it were severely injured. Daphne sighed. "Fine, will you do it for a Scooby Snack?" she asked, pulling out a few of Scooby's favorite treats.

"R'oh boy, r'oh boy," he said eagerly, waiting with his mouth open expectantly.

Daphne chuckled as she tossed the snack at Scooby. "Okay, so you'll be a distraction while Shaggy and I find where he's hidden Fred and Velma. I have a hunch that they'll be at the top of the lighthouse," she said with a smile, realizing how much she sounded like Fred.

"Okay, but, like, first, can we change out of our PJ's?" Shaggy asked, gesturing to his plaid boxers and torn tank top.

Daphne looked down at her own outfit and decided that rescuing their friends was a little more important than changing clothes, something that she would never have admitted a few months earlier. "No," she said decidedly, but, taking another look at her companion, added, "But maybe you should throw on a pair of pants."

He nodded and sprinted upstairs, returning a few seconds later in a pair of dark brown jeans and a loose green T-shirt. "Okay, now let's go."

The three wasted no time in getting to the old building. They stayed close to the wall as the trio spotted Bo Jensen digging in the tunnel that Fred and Daphne had discovered a few days before.

"Okay, Scoob, your on," Daphne whispered to the dog.

Scooby tiptoed until he was right behind Bo. "Yoohoo," he called, catching the man's attention.

"Scooby," he said nervously. "What are you doing here?"

While Bo was busy with their dog, Shaggy and Daphne crept hurriedly up the winding staircase, not stopping until they reached the top. There they found their two kidnapped friends, bound and gagged, sitting on the floor. As Daphne rushed over to loosen the bonds on Fred, she happened to glance over the edge of the railing and realized how high up they were. She held her head as dizziness became a big obstacle. As soon as she looked at Fred, however, her wooziness vanished as she realized how dire their situation was. If they didn't get out of there before Bo returned, there would be some serious trouble.

Shaggy wasted no time in freeing Velma. She smiled as she noticed how brave he was being. Her own knight in shining armor.

Daphne finally got the knots undone and helped Fred get out of the ropes. She wrapped her arms around him and he did the same to her, pulling her close. "Please, never get yourself kidnapped again," she whispered to him.

He chuckled and told her, "Well, you did say you wished someone else would get captured for a change."

Daphne wanted to pull back, to stared deep into those sparkling blue eyes and to see that stunning smile of his, but Fred would not release her, not that she was complaining. _This is nice_, she thought. _Too bad it'll never be anything more._ Her smile faltered as sadness crept into her mind. Little did she know that Fred was thinking the exact same thing.

Next to them, Shaggy and Velma were standing around awkwardly, not really sure what to do. Scooby, who had run up the stairs and noticed their situation, pushed the two a little closer together, causing each to blush.

"Thanks for, you know, saving me and everything," she said.

"Li-like, any time," he responded, smiling sheepishly.

Daphne, who was rather enjoying this little moment she was sharing with Fred, saw Scooby forcing Shaggy and Velma to get closer to each other. At first, she smiled, but after a few seconds, she jumped in shock, causing Fred to let her out of their hug. He frowned, for he had not been done holding her, and he asked, "Daph, what's wrong?"

"Scooby," she said, pointing at the dog. "What are you doing up here?"

Shaggy also seemed to understand how bad the situation was. He ran away from Velma and over to his dog. "Like, Scoob, aren't you supposed to be downstairs distracting Bo? And if you're not, then, like, where is he?" Shaggy didn't need to wait for an answer as Bo himself appeared standing in the doorway a moment later. He was holding a shovel in an ominous manner and didn't look pleased to see that his prisoners had been released.

"How the hell did you manage to get them free?" he spat and Daphne. Obviously, Bo hadn't counted on Shaggy, Scooby, and Daphne being able to function without the brains and the leader.

"We're not as useless as you seem to think we are," Daphne snapped back. Though she was acting brave and tough, she was really scared by the man. Consequently, she was, once again, holding on to Fred and cowering behind him. He didn't even think before he put a protective arm around her, pulling her close.

In one, swift, unforseen motion, Bo grabbed Velma by the throat and leaned her against the railing. She felt her feet lift of the ground as she was balancing dangerously, almost falling off the edge. Velma grabbed Bo's arm and dug her nails into it, causing him to call out in pain, but he never let go of her.

"Leave her alone," Shaggy growled.

"I'll leave her alone when you leave me alone," was the reply. "You kids had better run along now, or you'll never see your friend again."

Shaggy bent down and whispered something into Scooby's ear.

"Hey, dog whisperer," Bo shouted, "cut that out! Now, I'll give you five seconds to get out of this lighthouse, or it's bye-bye, Velma." He paused and looked around at the determined faces of the teenagers before him. "One." Fred and Daphne took one step toward the door. "Two." They took another step, but Shaggy and Scooby remained planted in the ground. "Three." No one moved. "Four."

Shaggy pounced on Bo so quick that it was almost impossible to see coming. The boys were soon caught up in a full-fledged fight, one that Bo, the obviously stronger of the two, was winning. Scooby had run over and grabbed Velma before any real harm could come to her. She now crawled slowly over toward Fred and Daphne. Somehow, Shaggy managed to slam Bo's head into the wall, knocking him out instantly.

The skinny boy turned to Daphne, blood trickling out of his nose. "Like, now can we call the cops?" he asked breathlessly, causing the red-head to chuckle.


	7. The End

**AUTHORS NOTE (PLEASE READ): **  
Sharan: Sorry if I disappointed you with my mentionings of Shaggy/Velma. Because of your reviews, I'm going to ask everyone who reads this to tell me if I should keep some Shaggy/Velma or if they should just be friends in my future stories. Please tell me what you guys want to read! I'll also take any other suggestions you might have. Again, I'm really sorry if you don't like the stories I write. Please, please, please tell me what I need to change to make it better.  
Sonar: Shaggy being suddenly brave was supposed to emphasize his feelings for Velma. That's kind of the point.  
To everyone else who has been reading/reviewing my stories: THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH! You know who you are! :) It really means a lot that you take the time to review! If you don't like something or you want me to change something, please let me know so I can be sure to improve. I know this story hasn't been the best but it's really great that you all keep supporting me!

_Chapter 7 The End_

The sheriff had arrived shortly after receiving a call from Fred. The whole group was now standing at the bottom of the lighthouse, surrounded by a crowd that included Velma's family, the police, Bo, and a number of curious neighbors. They all wanted to know the same thing: what the heck was going on?

"I'm sure you've all heard of William Paine's ghost that supposedly haunted the lighthouse," Fred said to everyone present. They all nodded. "Well, it wasn't a ghost at all. In fact, it was just Bo Jensen here dressing up as a pirate to frighten people off."

"But, why?" a bystander asked.

"He had heard the legends of Captain William Paine and his treasure. Bo thought they were true and he wanted all of the treasure for himself," Velma explained. "Whenever someone got brave enough to snoop around, he would put on his costume and scare them away."

"How did you kids figure it out?" an officer wondered.

"Well, like, when we went to talk to him the first time, Velma had mentioned that Daph and Fred were in the lighthouse," Shaggy piped up. "He didn't want them finding anything so he, like, kicked us out so he could chase them away."

"But we had already left," Fred added. "Later, at dinner, Bo was very curious about the inner-workings of our group. He thought that Velma and I were the most important members, so he stole a key to the house and was going to kidnap us. He thought that if he did this, Daphne, Shaggy, and Scooby wouldn't be able to solve the mystery by themselves. Obviously he underestimated them," Fred said, smiling at Daphne.

"So he went through all of this to find buried treasure?" the sheriff asked.

"Yeah," Bo grumbled. "And I would've gotten away with it too if it weren't for you meddling kids and your dog!"

"Dog? R'where?" Scooby asked, looking around.

The gang laughed at their silly pet. A few hours later, they were all packed up and ready to leave Pirate's Cove. Daphne was carrying her last bag out to the van when she noticed that Fred was already sitting inside. This wouldn't have been odd except for the fact that they weren't going to leave for another hour.

"Freddy, what are you doing in there?" she asked, sliding into the passenger seat.

He blushed. "Well, I was inside getting ready when Clarissa kind of...attacked me," he explained, looking down at his hands. "And I've been hiding out in here ever since."

Daphne laughed, causing Fred to look up and smile. He had never heard such a musical, cheerful sound in his life. There was a moment of awkward silence as neither was sure what to say. Eventually, Daphne mumbled something about needing to go back in the house and she exited the vehicle.

"Wait!" Fred called to her, also stepping out of the van. "While I have you here, there was something that I, err, wanted to give you," he said, pulling out a silver chain. On it was an odd-looking charm that was white with a black dot on it. Fred handed it to her and then reached for a more masculine chain that hung around his neck, holding a similar charm. His was black with a white dot on it. When separated, there was nothing extraordinarily significant about either charm, but when he put them together, they formed the circular Yin-Yang symbol.

"Fred, that's so sweet," Daphne said softly, putting the necklace on.

"Well, I just thought that, even though he was a creep, Bo was kind of right saying that we work well together and stuff," Fred mumbled. "Daph, you're like my best friend and I just thought that this necklace was kind of a reminder that I'll always be here for you, whenever you need me. So next time you get kidnapped by a ghost, just look down at that charm and know that I'm doing everything I can to get you back."

Daphne smiled, tears threatening to fall from her deep blue eyes. She knew that this was just another thing Fred was doing as a friend, and it didn't mean anything more than that. She realized that maybe friendship would be all she would ever get with him, and that alone made her want to burst into tears. But she took a deep breath and reminded herself that having him in her life as a friend was better than not having him in it at all. _And, who knows_, she thought hopefully, _maybe someday he'll feel the same way about me as I do about him_.

"Thank you so much," she said, hugging him for a brief moment. "This is the sweetest thing anyone's done for me in a really long time."

With that, Daphne walked slowly back into the house, leaving Fred to wonder why she was leaving, for her eyes said that she wanted to stay. Fred sighed. "Women should come with manuals," he muttered, climbing back into the car.

Meanwhile, Shaggy and Velma were reflecting on the case in the kitchen.

"I've never seen you act so brave," Velma told him, referring to the point when he had saved her from being thrown off the side of the lighthouse.

Shaggy blushed, but smiled. "Well, he was, like, trying to hurt you," he said, as if this explained the sudden and unexpected heroic act.

The corner's of Velma's lips twitched up into a little grin as she leaved over and gave her companion a quick peck on the cheek. After that, without so much as saying another word, Velma walked out of the kitchen and climbed into the van, leaving Shaggy confused.

"Like, this is exactly what she did at the end of our last case," he told Scooby, who was resting on a nearby rug. "Does that mean that she wants me to, like, ask her out or something? Or is this just her version of friendship?" He ran his hands through his messy hair. "Like, why don't girls ever make it easy for us guys?" he wondered.


End file.
